Seiko Epson Corporation has another feather in its cap. Their EP-976A3 all-in-one (AIO) printer was just given a Japanese 2013 Good Design Award, reserved for designs and products that enrich life and society as a whole.
The AIO printer gives consumers high performance that can print out A3 sheets with the same footprint as an A4 printer, allowing both business and home users to save space without compromising performance. The printer is able to reproduce crisp A3 photos and documents with amazing detail, and its clean, compact design allows more installation options in a given space.
“When a user prints over WiFi, the output tray, which automatically extends, and the control panel, which automatically tilts upward, make perfect sense when design is considered from a behavioral standpoint. The user interface is similarly designed with affordance*, suggesting the next action to perform on the touch panel. In addition, the minimalist design is beautiful, a result of Epson’s efforts to provide A3 output from a printer with A4 compactness. The flow of operations is designed for true ease of use, with affordances that suggest the next selection,” the judges beamed. Epson has always aimed to improve both lifestyles and work processes, and this device is testament to that aim.
The Japanese Good Design Awards were established to recognize designs that positively impact lifestyles, industry, and society in general. Designs are evaluated particularly in terms of effectiveness and functionality.